
Book __jiAj5. 



Author 



Title 



Imprint 



GPO 16 — ^7464 



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ADDRESS 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE 






ALUMNI ASSOCIATION!!; 



LAFAYETTE COLLEGE, 



m^^'^<^^r, 3FAo 



September 14, 1847 



BY 

WILLIAM E. BARBER, A. M 



^^ublisijrlr 6» Request ot tse Association* 



iP^ 



^ EASTON, PA. 

PUBLISHED FOR THE ASSOCIATION 

1847., 



^ 



■'~- ^.-^^^OJ 



ADDRESS 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE 



ALUMII ASSOCIATION 



LAFAYETTE COLLEGE, 



;A.^X=^^5 3PAo 



September 14, 1847 



BY 

WILLIAM E. BARBER, A.M 



iaufiKsijttr tvf ileqturst of t^e Association* 



EASTON, PA. 

PUBLISHED FOR THE ASSOCIATION. 

1847. 



,K.3 



In exchangre 

Peabody Institute 

Baltimore 

AUG 2 X 1928 



JOHN WESTALL & CO., PRINTERS, 

11 SPRtlCE STREET, NEW-TOBK. 



ADDRESS 



Gentlemen : 

The return of another anniversary of the Alumni Association, 
has again convened us together. We meet as brethren, after a 
long and distant separation, to exchange congratulations, and re- 
unite our hearts and sympathies under the roof of the old home- 
stead. We have left our various avocations, and laid aside the 
insignia of our daily toil, and have come up to cast our votive 
offerings of respect and affection, and whatever worldly laurels 
we may have gathered, during our absence, into the lap of our 
alma mater. Time, without destroying our loyalty to the dis- 
tinctive society, whose badge wo were proud to wear when act- 
ively engaged in the duties of this institution, has mellowed 
down the prejudices which once disturbed our intercourse, and 
uprooted the bitterness too often engendered by an undue emu- 
lation. We remember our youthful partizan manifestations, 
only to be amused at their folly, or to deplore the excesses 
into which they hurried us. All our former animosities are 
forgotten in the joy of this re-union. 

Assembled thus, under circumstances ^peculiarly favorable 
to retrospection, we are transported back, through the lapse of 
years, to the sun-lit days of our collegiate discipline. Faces 
that bent with us over the books of study — forms that wrestled 
with us on the college campus — competitors, with whom, in 
bloodless conflict, we grappled upon the arena of literary con- 
test — countenances of instructors, that were accustomed to greet 



ADDRESS. 



us in the recitation halls, and all the accompanying scenes of 
our scholastic life, arrange themselves in a beauteous panorama 
before us. 

But we meet, not, merely, to resuscitate the associations of 
the past — to grasp the hand of fellowship, and renew the inti- 
macies which time and distance have interrupted. Since the 
period when we stood upon the threshold of yonder edifice, 
holding in our hands the certificates of our scholarship ; our 
brows flushed with gladness that the term of our preparatory 
discipline had expired, and our pulses beating high with the 
expectation of future success ;*»we have tasted the enjoyments, 
and perchance, experienced the trials of that world, which was 
so long the object of our aspirations ; and we now return to 
impart to one another the lessons we have learned in our inter- 
course with men ; to collect into a common reservoir the ac- 
cumulated results of our observation and experience, whence 
each may draw wisdom, strength, and encouragement for the 
more efficient discharge of the duties of his calling. 

Without attempting any display of classical learning, but 
rather in departure from the usual routine of topics of discourse, 
which immemorial custom ?ias sanctioned as appropriate to 
occasions like the present, we have selected a subject of a 
practical nature, with the hope that some crude thought, or 
desultory suggestion thrown out, may be found worthy of pre- 
servation, or, at least, may have the effect of directing attention 
to the importance of our theme. If we succeed in investing 
our subject with sufficient interest to attract the notice of any 
of the educated minds before us, the aim of our ambition will 
have been fully attained. We propose to show that a knowl- 
edge of Human Character is essential to the usefulness of edu- 
cated men. 

It is unnecessary to explain more clearly the meaning of the 
terms employed in the announcement of the subject. There is 
no obscurity in the language, nor can there be any misconcep- 
tion of the sentiment intended to be enforced. It is rather to 
be apprehended that the proposition is too self-evident to re- 
quire any elucidation. But whatever acquiescence may be 
yielded to the statement of the truth, it requires only a super- 
ficial observance of the actions of men to discover, that but 
little credence is awarded to it in practical life. Without con- 
troversy, there exists throughout every grade in society, a 
deplorable ignorance of the capacities, propensities and general 
characteristics of human nature. Side by side, we journey 



along- through life, with a goodly company of fellow-travellers, 
and never so much as glance at the aspect or apparel of the 
companions of our pilgrimage. Especially is this ignorance 
perceived among men of studious habits and cultivated minds. 
Their chambers of study are their little worlds. The living, 
moving throng of human beings without are strange and almost 
forgotten. The human caravan is daily passing before their 
eyes, and few among them know, or imagine, what a world of 
interest is hidden in the character of each individual of that 
countless throng. 

He who supposes that no other instruction is demanded for 
the duties of the world, than that which is imparted at a college, 
or an university, has mistaken the end of intellectual effort, and 
the object of existence. The studies of a collegiate course are 
designed more to discipline the mind for the acquisition of 
knowledge, than to furnish it with stores of erudition, to be 
garnered as a source of pride, and a subject of complacency. 
The graduate has but gained the vestibule of the temple of 
knowledge. Within, are contained unnumbered apartments, 
filled with objects of curiosity and absorbing interest. Some of 
these apartments the feet of predecessors have already traversed, 
but the greater number remain still unexplored. The farther 
the votary proceeds in his inquiries, the more his happiness will 
be increased, and the greater will become his capacity for use- 
fulness. 

The fountains whence information may be drawn, are infinite 
in number and variety. The most valuable, doubtless, are 
books. But they are not the only sources of knowledge ; and, 
it is to be feared, they are too frequently substituted for those 
other aids which, though not of equal value intrinsically, are, at 
least, necessary concomitants of the printed volume. Observa- 
tion and reflection perform important offices in the education of 
the intellect. Nature, in all her diversified forms of interest 
and enchantment, are spread out for their exercise. We need 
not books to teach us that her scenes are transcendently beauti- 
ful, and that the order and regularity of her laws, and the 
method of her operations, in forming and combining the con- 
stituent particles of matter, are calculated to inspire us with 
amazement, and fill our minds with thoughts of beauty and sub- 
limity. But we can go forth into the open field, and penetrate 
the dark shade of the forest ; and clamber to the mountain's 
top; and see, and hear, and feel, for ourselves, the manifesta- 
tions of the power, the majesty, and love of Him who has 



ADDRESS 



created all scenes and harmonies for the enjoyment of his 
rational creatures. 

The student of Nature is usually assiduous and unwearied : 
for every step of his progress increases the fascination of the 
study ; every new fact disclosed, casts additional effulgence over 
the subject of investigation. The Mineralogist willingly en- 
dures fatigue and hardship in the prosecution of his favorite 
science ; the Botanist pursues, with unflagging ardor, the dis- 
covery and classification of plants ; the Ornithologist traverses 
the rugged mountain and the tangled brake with untiring energy, 
to obtain some bird of brighter plumage, or sweeter song, with 
which to grace his museum ; and the Astronomer, sedulously 
surveying the heavens through his telescope, deems the discov- 
ery of some new luminary, sufiicient compensation for years of 
patient research. If, therefore, the inanimate and irrational 
parts of creation afford such stores of captivation and delight ;- I 
if it is a source of exquisite pleasure, in each flower that dis- 
plays its beauty to the sun, and in each leaf that clothes the 
tree with verdure and symmetry, to recognize a familiar friend ; 
to call by name each bird, and beast, and shell, and insect ; and 
to be able to compass the heavens at a glance, and claim an 
intimacy and " kindred " with the stars >-how infinitely more 
fascinating should be the study of mankind ! For, "What a 
piece of work is man ! How noble in reason ! how infinite in 
faculties ! in form and moving, how express and admirable ! in 
action how like an angel ! in apprehension how like a god ! the 
beauty of the world ! the paragon of animals !" 

But aside from the pleasure which the prosecution of this 
study affords, the knowledge of human character is of the 
greatest practical utility in all the avocations of life. 

It confers the power of directing the minds, and moulding the 
conduct of men. 

No one can be extensively useful without influence. True, 
few are entirely destitute of influence, either for good or evil. 
Example itself is contagious. The constant attrition of minds, 
by association and intercourse, is not without its sensible effect. 
Intercommunication of thought and sentiment produces a reci- 
procal change of purpose and opinion. Influence of this kind is 
unconsciously exerted. But there is an ascendancy which can, 
and should be acquired by the educated, more powerful than the 
involuntary assimilation effected by the contact of minds of 
different capacities, and the impressions made upon each by the 
constant interchange of thought. 



ADDRESS 



All have experienced the power of maternal influence. 
With what solicitude the faithful mother watches the opening 
intellect of her child ! How painfully she marks the evil ten- 
dencies in its disposition, and how carefully she lahors to repress 
them, and to mould, with the sentiments of a better nature, the 
plastic mind of infancy ! And if some redeeming traits of 
character should appear, how patiently and hopefully she toils 
for their development ! Who can have forgotten the wonderful 
facility with which his mother, during the period of his child- 
hood, could read the thoughts of his heart, detect the presence 
of deceit, or guile, and tear aside the veil of equivocation and 
untruth, with which he had expected to conceal from her the 
knowledge of his disobedience? To attempt to impose upon 
her a reason, or an actuating motive, which had no existence, 
was a fruitless task. Either the countenance was an infallible 
index of the heart, or her acquaintance with the character of 
the child, enabled her to indicate, unerringly, the course of con- 
duct which the presence of certain scenes and temptations had 
induced. Neither time, place, nor circumstance, can eradicate 
the consciousness of a mother's influence. Like a guardian 
angel, it accompanies the individual far into manhood, reaching, 
in many cases, even to old age. It clings to us equally in soli- 
tude and society. Absence from the parental roof cannot 
impair its power. In the discharge of duty, the thought of a 
mother's approving smile encourages ; in the haunts of vice and 
dissipation, the imagined sight of a mother's tear of sorrow 
reproves, with the authority of a second conscience. Even the 
assurance of a mother's death, rather augments than abates the 
strength of that ascendancy which she possessed in life. The 
beautiful fancy that the spirits of the departed are permitted to 
hover around the path of those they loved on earth ; to rejoice 
at their struggles for the right, and to mourn over their aberra- 
tions ; is a tenet in the creed of almost every mind. Harmless, 
as an article of faith, and doing no violence to the teachings oif 
inspiration, it not unfrequently exercises a chastening and puri- 
fying effect upon the hearts of the living : cheering them in their 
despondency, and nerving them to the accomplishment of life's 
wearisome tasks. 

The authority of a teacher of youth over his pupils, should 
be second only to that of a parent over his children. Among 
the innovations of the age upon 4^ long-established usages, 
none seems to be more generally welcomed in schools, than the 
substitution of moral suasion for the wholesome discipline of 



ADDRESS. 



the rod. Whether the satisfaction arises from the discovery, 
after a fair experiment, of the actual superiority of the new 
system ; or whether it proceeds from a vivid recollection of the 
energetic measures employed by the old disciplinarians in spur- 
ring the sluggish intellect, and administering correction to the 
refractory ; and a disposition to shield the objects of fondness 
and affection from similar inflictions ; are questions still in pro- 
gress of solution. But this is undeniably true, that moral sua- 
sion will be utterly ineffective, without some conception of 
human character. Ignorance upon this point neutralizes the 
effect of the best instruction. That system of discipline which 
will render one youth an ornament to society, may quahfy 
another to be a ringleader in every species of vice and sensual- 
ity. Stern and unsparing reproof, may goad the sensitive mind 
to desperation. The reckless offender heeds not the gentle 
admonition, and continued lenity inspires him with contempt 
for the authority so lightly imposed. 

Many, otherwise competent instructors, learned, zealous, and 
gifted with a happy faculty of communicating information, often 
have occasion to lament, that their indefatigable labors are but 
meagrely rewarded. But how can he impart instruction suc- 
cessfully, who is unacquainted with the nature of the minds 
entrusted to his guidance and development? The same routine 
of education is not adapted to every intellect. The nutriment 
which will expand and invigorate one mind, will as certainly 
arrest the growth and impair the energies of another. The 
dull and plodding youth requires extraordinary incentives to 
activity, while the same incitements, presented to the ambitious, 
would prove hurtful by stimulating to over-exertion. 

If teachers were more generally possessed of the capacity to 
discern the susceptibilities of the youth consigned to their care, 
our seminaries would be more flourishing ; our literary institu- 
tions more effective nurseries of learning ; the cause of educa- 
tion would be more highly esteemed, and the diffusion of know- 
ledge greatly accelerated. 

But the communication of instruction is not confined to 
schools and colleges. Knowledge may be constantly imparted 
in the daily walks and intercourse of life. In this point of 
view, the educated are, or should be, all teachers — not of chil- 
dren only, but of men. The object of education is not merely 
to furnish the man with the means of self-gratification, although 
many perceive no other ultimate end to be accomplished. "To 
do good, and to communicate," is a duty enjoined upon us by 



ADDRESS 



the highest authority. Active, earnest and unceasing efforts to 
ameliorate the condition of mankind, physically, intellectually, 
and morally, is an obligation resting upon every member of 
society. He who labours most assiduously in this work of 
philanthropy, will receive the highest recompense on earth, 
and the brightest crown of glory in heaven. There is no room 
in society for the drone. The indolent are rightfully despised. 
By a wise provision in our code of laws, the vagrant is ac- 
counted a transgressor, and is adjudged worthy of imprisonment, 
lest his example should contaminate the community. The 
possession of affluence or talent increases the obligations of the 
individual thus highly favoured, to employ his endowments in 
advancing the happiness of his fellow-creatures, and suffering is 
the necessary consequence of refusal. Unless wealth be devoted 
to acts of charity and benevolence, it curses its possessor — it 
blights the finer feelings of the heart, and drains all the sources 
of happiness. But there is a species of covetousness equally 
sinful with the lust of sordid treasures. It is that disposition, 
often manifested by learned men, to accumulate and retain 
knowledge solely for the pleasure of its pursuit and the enjoy- 
ment which its possession bestows upon them. He who with- 
draws from the world into the seclusion of his study, for the 
selfish purpose of feasting alone upon the fruit which he has 
plucked from the tree of knowledge, is chargeable with abusing 
the gifts of Providence in wasting, upon his inordinate desires, 
stores of nourishing food, which, if distributed among his fellow 
men, might have fed many a famishing intellect, and stimulated 
many another into vigorous activity. As long as ignorance and 
superstition remain in the world, educated men have no right to 
hoard the treasures of learning which they have amassed. It is the 
design of Providence that the faculties of the human mind should 
be improved by education. For, until the understanding is strength- 
ened, man cannot know his duty to his Creator. If, therefore, the 
cause of religion be the cause of God, and mental illumination 
prepares the way for spiritual knowledge ; and if men are only 
stewards of the talents they possess, and bound to employ them 
actively in the service of their Maker, how grievously do they 
transgress, who bury their gifts in retirement, and withhold them 
from the purposes they were designed to subserve. The intellec- 
tual anchorite is an order of beings not recognized in the Divine 
government. The man that spends a lifetime in studying the habits 
of a single insect, or in endeavouring to discover the hidden mys- 
teries in the life of a vegetable, though his pursuit may be replete 
2 



10 



ADDRESS 



with interest, confers no real benefit upon the world, and falls far 
short of the end for which he was created. JNot that every 
object of investigation should be brought down to the rigid 
standard of utilitarianisn], in the general acceptation of the term, 
but that every occupation should tend immediately or remotely 
to the advantage of the human race and the glory of the Creator. 

To the educated, bearing always with them the conviction 
that it is their duty to dispense the light that is within them — 
opportunities are constantly presented for communicating in- 
struction. Not only irf the legislative chamber — in the crowded 
church — in the court of justice — in the lecture room — and in 
the presence of the assembled multitude-^— but in the polished 
circle — in the social club — in the public conveyance — in the 
casual encounter upon the thoroughfare — and in the sick-room, 
there may be found occasions for scattering precious seed. In 
this sphere of duty, however, no one will labour long without 
perceiving the absolute necessity of knowing the general char- 
acteristics of the human mind. To impart gratuitous information 
to full grown men, is an undertaking of great delicacy. The 
pride of man will not brook the open and direct attempt to 
communicate unsolicited knowledge. For the proffered favour 
pre-supposes ignorance in the intended recipient, and there is 
too much vanity in the human heart to bear patiently such an 
implication. Incessant vigilance and caution, therefore, are 
necessary in this department of labour, so as on the one hand, 
not to offend by officiousness^ and on the other, not to cast 
away the seed upon the barren desert or the sterile rock. 

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose 
under'; the heaven." The tumultuous battle field is not the 
proper place for a sermon upon the wickedness of war. The 
voice of the preacher is unheard amidst the din of clashing 
weapons and the curses of angry combatants. When the mind 
is fully occupied by some intricate calculation, or overwhelmed 
by tidings of the miscarriage of a valuable commercial venture ; 
the croakings of the moralist are deemed intrusive. The bar- 
rister engaged in the conduct of a complicated cause; or the 
physician burthened with solicitude for the safety of a patient 
in the crisis of disease, is impatient under the well-meant exhor- 
tations of the zealous evangelist. To attempt to convince the 
angry man in the fury of his passion, of the sinfulness of his 
conduct, were as futile as to reason with the madman upon the 
causes of insanity, or remonstrate with the whirlwind for the 
devastation it had caused. Many men of the strictest rectitude 



of purpose, instead of seizing the ^^ golden opportunity," account 
all moments golden, all seasons convenient, and all places equally 
becoming; and thus the cause which they love is often "wound- 
ed in the house of its friends*" 

It is important also, to know the proper method, as well as the 
time and place, of exertin^influence. Here again, many sad 
mistakes are often made. Approach the poor inebriate with 
words of harshness and rebuke, and he will turn away with 
loathing, and curse you in his heart. But address him in accents 
of kindness ; sympathize with his misery in such a way as not 
to alarm his pride ; recall to his mind the scenes of his youth, 
his innocence and his happiness ; and speak to him tenderly of 
the sufferings of his wife and child, and you will have touched a 
chord in his bosom, inaccessible to ruder hands. Then let in 
upon the darkness of his despair the sunshine of hope, and lead 
him gently away froni the contemplation of his wretchedness, 
until you: make him feel that he is still a man, «and capable of 
elevating himself to his former dignity, and you may have 
effected in him the commencement of a blessed reformation. 

There is a way of stimulating the coward to deeds of bravery 
and high renown. There is a way of melting into penitence the 
most unprincipled reprobate that ever mocked at a mother's 
prayers, or ridiculed the sorrows of a gray-haired and broken- 
hearted father. There are incentives sufficiently powerful to 
arouse the energies of the sluggard, and render him an efficient 
auxiliar, in every good work. 

Some minds can be moved only by harshness and intimidation ; 
others by the silken cords of persuasion and love. Argument, 
with many, only confirms them in error, but seem to yield them 
the mastery, and they will descend from their elevated stand, 
and, at length, concede whatever is required. 

In the use of the means of influence, much care and circum- 
spection are requisite, lest what is designed for good, should pro- 
duce a disastrous result. The amount of injury committed by 
the imprudence, or ignorance, of well meaning men, can only 
be known in eternity. Many a youth, doubtless, who might 
have been the pride of a parent's heart, has reached the disgrace- 
ful terminus of a course of crime, through the misdirection of 
indiscreet counsellors. Many a profligate, who had attained the 
verge of ruin, might have been rescued by a skilful hand, but 
was only toppled over the precipice. Many a transgressor 
might have been won back to virtue and to God by wise words, 
that was only hurried farther into transgression. Many a re- 



12 



ADDRESS 



turning prodigal would have found a father's house, and re- 
ceived a father's welcome ; but, intercepted by officious friends, 
he was driven again into exile and riotous living. Many an out- 
cast who might have been reclaimed from his sinful career, when 
his heart yearned for the voice of pity and forgiveness, encoun- 
tered only bitter upbraiding, and plunged deeper into iniquity. 
And many a child of promise, who might have attained the emi- 
nence on which a Newton or a Milton stood, has had his facul- 
ties stunted in their growth by the heavy impositions of hard 
task-masters ; or, disgusted with the uncongenial studies assigned 
him, he has refused to put forth further exertion, and has sunk 
into hopeless lethargy and insignificance. 

They who were instrumental in causing such calamities, must 
expect to be visited with the retribution they deserve ; for if they 
had qualified themselves for their stations, as teachers and coun- 
sellors, theseunhappy consequences might have been prevented. 

The great^umber of the members of this Association, are 
engaged in the duties of a professional calling. To such, this 
subject forcibly commends itself. It is scarcely necessary to 
remind the Lawyer, that to be intimately conversant with man- 
kind is essential to the attainment either of the emoluments or 
the honourable distinctions of his profession. Of this necessity 
he soon becomes sensible, after entering upon his career. The 
nature of his pursuit brings him constantly into contact with 
men. Abundant opportunities are afforded him of studying 
human character, in all its manifold representations ; for to no 
other individual is the machinery of human action so uncon- 
sciously exposed. It is peculiarly his province to contend with 
the subtleties of the human heart. With the ability to decipher 
the meaning of faces, and discern the passions and propensities 
that lie beneath, he becomes possessed of an instrument of tre- 
mendous potency. In the cross-examination of witnesses, he 
wrings the truth from the most reluctant. He detects and ex- 
poses all prevarications ; overthrows all subterfuges of falsehood ; 
subdues the bold and overbearing ; shames the impudent ; tran- 
quillizes the agitated ; encourages the fearful ; and emboldens the 
diffident. Through every avenue of the heart he pursues the 
truth ; no dissimulation can baffle ; no effrontery confound ; no 
evasion escape detection. 

In advocating the rights of the injured and oppressed, before 
a jury of the country, this acquisition is of invaluable assistance. 
It gives to retort its pungency ; to irony its shaft ; to sarcasm 
its poignant sting. It enables him to select weapons of argu- 



ADDRESS 



13 



ment of the finest temper, and to wield them with the most 
powerful effect. Capable of reading upon the countenances of 
the jury, the influence of every word addressed to them, he 
rivets the attention ; he convinces the understanding ; he carries 
captive the feelings ; he secures the verdict for his client ; and 
vindicates the cause of justice, truth and innocence. 

But the high-minded Lawyer is sometimes required, in the 
conscientious practice of his profession, to dissuade from litiga- 
tion; not only where the pecuniary interests of his client would 
suffer from the prosecution of the action, but also where the 
peace of society would be frivolously disturbed, and especially 
where the cause of morality or religion would be injuriously af- 
fected. No honourable man will lend himself to be the base in- 
strument of gratifying malignity, nor will he obey the behests of 
the vindictive and the oppressor, whatever may be the magni- 
tude of the promised remuneration. But it is not enough to 
refuse to undertake the management of the proffered cause. 
Another more compliant tool of malice, or revenge, may be 
found to consummate the deed of iniquity. It is the duty of the 
upright Lawyer to endeavour to obtain an abandonment of the 
intended wrong. For this purpose he will need a familiar ac- 
quaintance with human character. The most ungovernable pas- 
sions of our fallen nature must be encountered, and all the 
resources of the active mind — reason, expostulation, ridicule and 
intimidation, must be successively employed to effectuate their 
overthrow. But if the victory should be gained ; if the pur- 
posed injury to society should be prevented, and the threatened 
blow to virtue be intercepted ; though the fame of the deed may 
never extend beyond the precincts of the coun*ii-chamber, the 
approbation of a good conscience, and the consciousness of hav- 
ing fulfilled a sacred duty, will be a reward far more satisfactory 
than all human applause. 

The Physician finds frequent occasion for the application of 
this attainment, in the exercise of his noble profession. He 
also, is required to exert a controlling influence over other 
minds. He exacts, and expects, obedience to all his injunctions. 
He must reign supreme in the chamber of affliction. None 
should gainsay his authority, nor rebel against his reasonable re- 
quirements. 

Without the moral power to enforce submission to his man- 
dates, his ministrations will eventuate calamitously to his patients, 
and disparagingly to his own reputation. In his demeanor to- 
wards the subjects of disease, he is compelled to use the most 



^eC^ 



14 



A D D R E 



careful discretion. He must inspire confidence in his skill ; 
dispel apprehensions of immediate danger ; and excite hope of 
final recovery. In order, therefore, to act wisely under all cir- 
cumstances, he should be able to ascertain, without delay, the 
peculiar disposition of those whom he is called to relieve. 

But he is not confined, in the practice of his profession, to the 
cure of maladies of the body. He is sometimes summoned to 
"minister to a mind diseas'd," and commanded to 

" Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, 
Raze out the written troubles of the brain, 
And with some sweet oblivious antidote 
Cleanse the stufF'd bosom of that perilous stuff 
Which weighs upon the heart." 

In such an emergency, mercury and depletion lose their 
talismanic influence ; the infinitesimal medicaments of the 
homoeopathic school affect not even the imagination ; and 
hydropathy, with all its invigorating virtue upon the outward 
man, is powerless to reach the seat of the disorder. Strong 
common sense, and a familiarity with the laws of the mind and 
the character of the patient, alone, possess any efiicacy. 

Life or death may be suspended upon the language and 
deportment of the physician. Cases occur where it is essential 
that he should weigh every word, and exercise the most cau- 
tious circumspection over his conduct, in order to convey the 
sufferer safely over the fearful crisis of disease. At such a time 
every movement of his body, and every change of his counte- 
nance are closely watched by relatives and friends, and a single 
unguarded action or expression may precipitate the dreadful 
calamity. If the attendants that surround the couch of the 
invalid, are endued with strong mental control, he can explain, 
from time to time, with perfect safety, the condition of the suf- 
ferer ; but if they are easily excited, and prone to give way to 
boisterous ebullitions of feeling, it is his duty to be silent, lest 
their agitation should reach the ear of the afflicted one, and 
accelerate the ravages of the disease. The patient himself, in 
cases of extremity, should be informed of his situation, and it 
depends much upon the manner in which the physician imparts 
the appalling truth, whether the communication will induce a 
serious preparation for the probable issue, or only aggravate the 
malady, and hasten dissolution. 

Is this subject worthy of the consideration of him who min- 
isters at the holy altar 7 Is it not practicable for him to direct 



ADDRESS. 15 



the minds of men to the contemplation of spiritual things from 
the elevated pulpit, and through the silent press, without an 
intimate association with them, and an attentive observance of 
their character ? Does not the nature of his vocation exempt 
him from this necessity ? By no means. There are ministers 
of the Gospel who hold it unseemly in members of their sacred 
profession to maintain a commerce with the world so familiar 
as the study of human nature would seem to require. No 
greater mistake can be made. He who commanded them to be 
" harmless as doves," enjoined upon them likewise to be " wise 
as serpents." They are great teachers of moral and religious 
truth, — they should be wise to know the appropriate time, and 
place, and method, of rendering it effective. 

They are ambassadors from heaven, — they should be wise to 
take advantage of every circumstance which may promote the 
object of their embassy. They are watchmen in the church, — 
they should be wise not only to discover the approach of the 
enemy, but also to detect his presence within the walls. An 
indiscriminate intercourse with men is not advisable, nor is it 
necessary, for the acquisition of this wisdom. It would 
be highly unbecoming in them, to descend from the serene 
mount of communion with their Maker, and mingle with the 
stormy passions, the bitter prejudices, the noisy strife of political 
contest, and the clamorous wrestling for worldly honour and 
affluence, which are incident to secular employments. But the 
minister can avoid all such occasions of offence, and still be- 
come an adept in the knowledge of human nature. 

How few profit by their privileges ! Satisfied if they can 
gain an acquaintance with their own hearts, they seldom 
think of watching the motives which actuate the conduct of 
their fellow-men. 

Secluded within the walls of the college, or the seminary, 
from the period of their childhood, they enter into the battle of 
life, unarmed and unprepared for the struggles that await them. 
Unlike men of other pursuits, instead of quietly taking their 
places in the ranks, and suffering themselves to be borne along 
with the crowd, until they can snatch a weapon of defence, and 
learn the art of warfare by actual experience ; under the dic- 
tates of an erroneous conception of their duty, they strive to 
retire from the conflict, but only expose themselves to ruder 
blows, and become entangled in greater perplexities. 

Without some knowledge of the world, the clergyman may 
be as learned as Chalmers ; as profound as Edwards ; as devo- 



16 



A D D B E S S 



tedly pious as Payson or McCheyne, yet the sphere of his 
usefulness will be circumscribed within narrow limits — he is 
only partially qualified for the profession whose active requisi- 
tions and solemn responsibilities he has assumed. He is the 
subject of every practical joke, — the victim of every boyish 
amusement; and though admired in the pulpit for his splendid 
abilities and varied acquisitions, he is pitied, and even ridiculed, 
for his artless and infantile simplicity. He is constantly imposed 
upon by the plausible dissembler. He expends his benevolence 
upon unworthy objects of charity. He lends his influence to 
visionary, useless, and injurious projects. He moves through 
the community, continually violating the usages and courtesies 
of society, but is incapable of seeing the reflection of his con- 
duct in the countenances of his observers ; and while all the 
world may be amused at his foibles, he is wholly unconscious of 
their derision. When either in the courageous discharge of his 
duty, or under the impulse of a zeal without knowledge, he has 
given offence, unable to perceive the indications of the gathering 
storm, he unwittingly places himself in its very pathway, and is 
beaten down, or swept aside with violence, astounded at the 
suddenness with which the calamity overtook him. 

The divine should always prepare his discourses with a direct 
reference to the character and wants of his people, and the state 
of feeling in his congregation. He who preaches at random is 
likely to eflfect as little as he who prays at random. It is possi- 
ble to sit under the dispensation of Divine truth, from youth to 
hoary age, and in all that time not to have had the sensibilities 
affected. The matter of the sermons may have been sound and 
evangelical, and the manner of the preacher earnest and impas- 
sioned, and yet words of fire may have fallen unheeded upon 
hearts of stone, which had penetrated into their inmost recesses 
had the proper mode of entrance been ascertained. 

Some may be disposed to impugn the orthodoxy of these 
views, and to say that instruments are of no account, so long as 
the truth is preached in sincerity. But the doctrine of the spe- 
cial interposition of the spirit to supply the deficiency of the 
preacher, has long since been exploded. God works by instru- 
ments, and he requires his servants to be " thoroughly fur- 
nished uuto all good works." Their fitness for the office is the 
strongest evidence thdt they have been called to the work of the 
ministry. Observation teaches us that those divines who have 
been most conversant v/ith the follies and vices of men— whe- 
ther they were once participants themselves, or only had a 



ADDRESS 



17 



favourable opportunity of observing them from a distance — are 
always the most efficient evangelists. They are the most 
capable of portraying the nature and bitter consequences of a 
career of iniquity. They can trace through all the labyrinths 
of the breast, the evil thought to its fountain-head. They can 
expose to the man of transgression, the corruptioi^ of his life 
in all its hideous deformity. And they can present to the mind, 
motives for reformation, of irresistible power. Where the lan- 
guage of others would only obdurate, their appeals penetrate to 
the quick— alarm, humble, encourage, and incite. 

In administering balm to the wounded spirit, and consolation 
to the afflicted ; in dissipating doubt ; in relieving perplexity ; 
in detecting spurious piety ; in repressing wild enthusiasm ; and 
in inflicting the discipline of the church upon the faithless pro- 
fessor — the minister necessarily meets with a diversity of char- 
acter ; and happy will he be, in time and eternity, if he accom- 
modate his words and actions so wisely to the various subjects 
of his ministrations, as never to err or injure, but in every 
instance promote the spiritual welfare of the souls intrusted to 
his charge. 

Educated men have many infelicities, which have subjected 
them to ridicule and animadversion, from the days of Homer to 
the present time. Many of them result from ignorance of 
human character. It is only necessary, at this time, to allude to 
one. It is that excessive sensitiveness — that shrinking of the 
mind from a contact with the world— and that want of self-con- 
fidence which characterizes many of studious and retired habits. 
That it renders them unhappy, and injures their usefulness, they 
themselves are deeply sensible, and would eagerly grasp at any 
means of overcoming their embarrassment. Perhaps it never 
occurred to them, that their diffidence might be the efl?ect of a 
deeply-seated and inordinate love of approbation. 

Is it not true, that the diffident man bears with him an abiding 
consciousness of inferiority, and that he cherishes an insatiable 
desire to obtain the admiration of his fellow-men ? He performs 
no action that he does not immediately wish undone, that he 
may execute it more creditably. He expresses no sentiment 
that he does not desire to retract, lest it may prejudice him in 
the estimation of his audience. He is constantly upon the rack 
of uneasiness, with the apprehension that some rash word, or 
inconsiderate deed, may detract from his reputation for wisdom 
or sagacity, or obstruct him in the attainment of those marks of 
distinction to which he ardently aspires. 
3 



©~ 



18 



ADDRESS. 



Diffidence must be carefully distinguished from modesty. 
The latter is eminently praiseworthy. The truly wise are 
habitually modest. As the mind becomes enlightened, the 
capacity to perceive the insignificance of all human attainments, 
becomes painfully enlarged. There are so many evidences of 
wisdom in the works of creation, the scope and design of which 
are incomprehensible to the finite intellect; so many sciences, 
with elementary principles scarcely yet discovered by the most 
profound ; so many steeps of knowledge, with summits yet 
hidden in the immensity of space ; and so many depths envel- 
oped in darkness still unexplored — that the most gifted mind 
recoils within itself at the impossibility of encompassing the 
boundlessness of science. But the modest man, with all his 
humility, in view of the wisdom of Omniscience, is not distrust- 
ful of himself in the presence of his fellow-men. Nor is he so 
keenly sensitive to praise or censure, as the diffident. Under 
all circumstances, he maintains his self-possession, and with 
firmness, yet without any assumption of superiority,; asserts his 
dignity, and vindicates his claims, to attention and respect. 
Bashfulness in the educated — until every method of surmount- 
ing it has been tried, without success — is a vice. The world 
makes no allowance for their mistakes, and it is questionable 
whether they are entitled to it. Timidity is attributed to stu- 
pidity, and the blunders of a bashful man are the lawful pro- 
perty of every jester in society. Cowper, one of the most 
modest of men, has written — 

"Sweet bashfulness, it claims at least this praise, 
The dearth of iuformation and good sense 
That it foretells us, always comes to pass." 

There is a happy medium between impudent assurance on 
the one hand, and fearful distrust on the other ; but of the two 
extremes, the former, paradoxical as it may appear, is received 
with the greater favour by mankind, and presents fairer pros- 
pects of success in every undertaking. 

Let the diffident man, then, turning his attention from his own 
imperfections, enter seriously upon the study of mankind. Let 
him notice the frivolous objects of their pursuits, and the trifling 
aim of their aspirations ; the facility with which their minds are 
swayed by passion and interest ; the childish follies of the 
greatest men, and the simple toys which will afibrd them gratifi- 
cation ; and the readiness with which public opinion can be 
manufactured and unmade — and he will not only learn to respect 




™® 



ADDRESS 



19 



himself, but compel the respect of others ; he will acquire inde- 
pendence of thought and action ; and no longer stoop to worship 
at the shrine of a fluctuating popularity. 

It is not properly within the purview of our subject, to offer 
any suggestions which may facilitate the study of human char- 
acter. Every individual that enters upon it, will probably pursue 
a course peculiar to himself. Some may call to their assistance 
the recently discovered system of phrenology. But whatever 
may be the justice of the claims of this discovery to rank 
among the sciences — an examination of the cerebral developments 
in search of character, would be at all times inconvenient, and 
generally impracticable^— -Piysiognomy can be employed to a 
limited extent ; but words and actions are as important in the 
estimation of character, as the expression of the countenance. 

In general, a close and vigilant scrutiny of the disposition of 
every man encountered in the walks of life, whether it be 
evinced by the language of the actions, of the lips, or of the 
features, will be rewarded betimes by a satisfactory insight into 
human nature. An occasional interview with an individual, 
unless he studiously endeavours to conceal the manifestations of 
his natural temper, will enable the attentive observer to learn at 
least his ruling passion, and the strong impulses of his nature. 
But to the adept, a word casually dropped in conversation — the 
sparkling of the eye ; the compression of the lips ; or the lights 
and shadows which alternate in the countenance — will furnish a 
key to the treasure-chamber of the thoughts and emotions. 

Hasty conclusions, however, from a superficial examination, 
must be carefully avoided. 

In the words of an apparent master of the science — 

*• Sometimes at a glance thou judgest well ; years could add little to thy 
knowledge : 
When chanty gloweth on the cheek, or malice is lowering in the eye, 
When honesty's open brow, or the weasel face of cunning is before thee. 
Or the loose lip of wantonness, or clear bright forehead of reflection. 
But often, by shrewd scrutiny, thou judgest to the good man's harm : 
For it may be his hour of trial, or he slumbereth at his post, 
Or he hath slain his foe, but not yet levelled the stronghold, 
Or barely recovered of the wounds, that fleshed him in his 'fray with 

passion. 
Also, of the worst, through prejudice, thou loosely shalt think well : 
For none is altogether evil, and thou may'st catch him at his prayers, 
There may be one small prize, though all beside be blanks ; 
A silver thread of goodness in the black sergecloth of crime." Tupper. 



20 ADDRESS 



When the educated man has acquired this subtlety in judging 
of character, his capability of doing good is beyond computa- 
tion. Clad in an impenetrable panoply of defence against im- 
position, deception and ridicule, like a skilful fencer, he can 
strike just where his blows will be most effective ; if necessary, 
disarming his adversary and prostrating him. uninjured ; proving 
his superiority, and compelling deference to his skill. 

He moves along in the masquerade of life with the power 
of piercing the various disguises of his companions!'; and if 
justice, propriety, or good order, should require the exposure, 
he occasionally uplifts the masks that hide the visages of the 
company, and exhibits the scion of nobiJity clothed in the gar- 
ments of the serf>!^the boor, tricked out in the robes of roy- 
Siltyjfihe hypocrite, in the garb of the sainU;the base, wearing 
the semblance of the honourable^* the mean and sordid, in the 
guise of the generous and charitable ; and the kind and gentle 
nature, concealed under an exterior of cold and repulsive aus- 
terity. 

He is the true friend of the wretched and the destitute ; for 
he is sure of conferring his charities only upon the real and 
deserving sufferer. 

He is the strong champion of the weak and defenceless 
'' little ones," for he can anticipate the blow of the oppressor, 
and throw around them the mantle of his protection. 

He is a successful peacemaker ; for he knows how to assuage 
the elements of strife, before they have ripened into the un- 
governable tempest. 

He is a light to the benighted mind, and a guide to the erring. 
In short, he can distribute with a liberal hand the wealth of a 
well-stored intellect, and the largess of a heart overflowing 
with goodness ; assured that his benefactions will neither be 
abused, nor return to him without having accomplished the 
object of his philanthropy. 

In urging this subject upon your consideration, with such 
earnestness, we would not be^ understood as deprecating the 
value of literary and scientific attainments. It is farthest from 
our purpose to magnify its importance, at the expense of other 
means of training and expanding the intellect, which are of 
primary moment. The study of the ancient classics and the 
exact sciences, furnish the mind with a vigor and copiousness, 
which will be sought for in vain elsewhere. We claim for our 
subject only the place of an adjunct to other important acquisi- 
tions. It is but an instrument by which the energies of the cul- 



ADDRESS 



21 



tivated mind are made more effective. As a weapon is of no 
avail without the muscular arm to give it motion and efficacy, — 
as the magnifier is useless without the organ of vision — so the 
knowledge of human character is ineflScient, without the disci- 
plined and vigorous intellect to apply it to useful purposes. 

Thus, gentlemen, feebly and inadequately, but with an earnest 
desire to make this annual meeting an occasion of good, the 
task assigned me by your partiality has been performed. We 
have enjoyed a pleasant season of communion and a brief re- 
laxation from the cares and labours of our worldly pursuits. 
When the exercises of this commencement shall have been con- 
cluded, we will separate, to repair again to our several avocations. 

Upon this spot — the scene of our early privileges, and the 
home of our most delightful associations, we may not meet 
again. But th^ links which bind us together in brotherhood 
have been strengthened by this interview. When we descend 
from this eminence of learning, to wrestle again with the world, 
we will bear on our hearts the interests of every member of 
this association. If, in future time, distinction or success 
should crown the honourable enterprises of any of our number, 
we will rejoice over his honours as if they were our own. If 
adverse fortune should occur to any, we will proffer our sym- 
pathies and good offices. If death, we will mourn, with the 
sorrow of bereaved brethren. The Institution, which was the 
birth-place of our mental endowments, will live in our memo- 
ries till the latest hour of life. We will cherish the lessons of 
love to God, to man, and our country, with which she imbued 
our youthful minds, and her continued prosperity will ever be a 
source of pride and heartfelt elation. May we comport our- 
selves with such propriety that she will never blush to own us 
as her sons ! 



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